


Letters

by ziamgaylinson



Series: 10 Days of Ziam [7]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Letters, M/M, it's late and i'm tired, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 06:11:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziamgaylinson/pseuds/ziamgaylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam wakes up on Valentines Day to an empty bed. There's nothing there but a single rose and a letter that reads,</p>
<p>For my one and only, Liam. I hope you're ready for a special day.<br/>-Zayn</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters

**Author's Note:**

> This is Day 7. I really liked writing this one and it's longer than all the others. I hope you like it too because it's midnight and I have a paper to write that I'm not even halfway done and it's due by 7am. And I really liked writing it.There are also song lyrics and quotes from books I've never read.
> 
> I really hope you like this.

_Liam,_

_I really, really, really, really like you. Wait, no. I really, really, really, really, really love you._

  
Zayn frowns at the paper in front of him. It's not good. That's not how he wants to start this letter. That's not even how he wants to say it.

The words sound too desperate. Too cheesy.

Instead of erasing like he's been doing, Zayn balls the paper up and throws it away. He doesn't want to look at the stupid thing any more than he has to. But that's the only one he's thrown away, the other failed attempts are taped on the wall in front of him and scattered on his desk.

Being the organized freak he is, he's separated them by type of letter: cheesy rhyming poetry, words that may or may not be stolen from romance novels, and shamelessly used song lyrics.

The cheesy poetry is mostly things like _Roses are Red, Violets are(n't) blue, If you were a Pokemon, I'd choose you._ And _Roses are Red, Violets might be blue, But there's someone I love, And I'm certain it's you._

Some are disgustingly generic and cheesy, in Zayn's opinion, and some aren't so bad. But they're not good. And that's why Zayn hates this stupid holiday.

Valentines Day is always horrible. From a young age he's hated-- well hated is too strong a word, he's despised it. In primary school it wasn't too bad, everyone was forced to give cards out to the entire class so nobody was left out. Middle school, that wasn't terrible, but it was annoying. Preteens who thought they were in love, bringing in ridiculous gifts that were destined to end up stolen or lost.

High school was definitely horrible. Every year the student congress sold carnations and all the pretty, popular girls and the handsome, cool boys got lots and lots of carnations from their many admirers and large groups of friends. Most normal people were lucky to get even one or two flowers.

Zayn got flowers. But the cards that came with them had horrible, horrible notes on them. With racial slurs and insults about his lifestyle written by immature high schoolers.

Then he left for Uni and Liam came along and Zayn still hates the holiday, but just a little less. Liam understands how much Zayn doesn't like it, so he never pushes for Zayn to do anything over the top.

But Zayn wants to. He really, really wants to do something special for Liam, but he doesn't know how. Never has he had to do anything remotely similar. That's why he's staring at a paper with Ke$ha lyrics:

  
_Dear Liam,_

~~_I think you're hot. I think you're cool. You're the kind of guy I'd stalk in school._ ~~   
~~_What you have, Li, is hard to find. I think about it all the time. I'm all strung out, my heart is fried. I just can't get you off my mind._ ~~   
_I could see it in your eyes, tasted it in our first kiss, stranger in this lonely town, saved me from my emptiness. You took my hand and told me it would be okay..._

  
No matter how hard Zayn tries, he can't find the right words to say on the paper. No lyrics sound genuine enough. No poems sound unique or orignal enough. Everything else is like a fart that you have to force.

There was one quote from Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Benieres that Zayn absolutely loved. But no matter how good Liam claims Zayn's writing is, he would definitely know that the words did not come from Zayn's own mind.

  
_Liam,_

_When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are to become so entwined together that it is inconcievable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your bady. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!_

  
As Zayn stares at the words written in his neatest cursive, he can't bear to part with them. A part of him feels the words, he understands them completely. He knows what he felt for Liam is eternal, that if Liam ever leaves him, nobody else would be able to complete him like Liam does. That he would literally fall apart and nobody would ever be able to fix that.

Zayn doesn't throw it away. He finally knows what to write and it seems like he can't write fast enough, but eventually he gets it done.

\--

Liam wakes up on Valentines Day to an empty bed. There's nothing there but a single rose and a letter that reads,

_For my one and only, Liam. I hope you're ready for a special day._   
_-Zayn_

His heart soars at the words and he brings the flower up to smell it's sweet scent. Liam feels giddy. He feels like a teenage girl, just a little bit.

As the morning carries on and Liam goes about his daily business, there are more notes. Some on frilly little cards that smell like vanilla and others on little sticky notes, where Zayn knows where only Liam would find them. Each with it's own red rose.

By noon Liam has at least a dozen or so roses with notes that contain hints as to what might be happening that night, and quotes from lyrics, poems and books. All but a few that Liam knows and holds dear to his heart.

At around seven, Liam gets a call on his phone from Zayn who tells him to be ready in an hour (and also he must dress nice and bring his flowers). He's nervous because he hasn't seen Zayn at all today and Liam has been handed roses by strangers, each with lovely notes from Zayn.

Eight o'clock rolls around and Liam is nothing but nervous energy. He doesn't know what to expect, because he knows Zayn hates this holiday and he knows Zayn put a lot of effort into tonight (Liam might have seen a few of the discarded letters in the trash while he was cleaning).

There's a knock at the front door and Liam answers it immediately. Right outside of the door stands a man who takes Liam's carnations and asks Liam to follow him. He does, no questions asked. Outside of the apartment building, is a stretch limo, and Liam wants to scream. In excitement of course.

Inside of the limo, piled on the longer seat, are more roses. At least twice as many as the driver was holding.

The limo ride is too long. Or that's how it feels to Liam. He's literally so excited, he can't sit still, so he counts every carnation. 341.

Zayn bought Liam 341 red roses. He rented a limo just to bring Liam and every single one of those roses to some unknown location. He begins to count the roses again.

Halfway through, the limo comes to a stop and Liam straightens himself up. The door opens before Liam can do it himself and as he steps out, he's handed yet another rose.

It's a restaurant. Not just any restaurant, though. What is possibly the most exclusive restaurant in the town. It's nearly impossible to get a reservation. Especially for Valentine's day.

Liam's starting to feel terrible because he'd only gotten Zayn a cute little card and a box of chocolates. But Zayn, he's gone all out. To the moon and back.

The sidewalk is covered in rose petals, Liam notices. But that's not the important part. What really catches his eye, are the boys who must be in charge of valet, waiting on the sides. Each with a rose in his hand. The roses are handed to Liam as he enters the restaurant with a big smile on his face.

Inside the restaurant, it's decked out in Valentine's day decor. Red and pink hearts everywhere. Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars is playing on the speakers, it's their song. Sure it's a little cheesy, but Zayn and Liam both love it (and Bruno).

The hostess, who gives Liam another flower, leads Liam to his seat. On the way there, he's given even more roses. Finally Liam is able to sit at his reserved table, arms full of roses. Another rose lays on the table, beside another note. This one folded.

Liam opens it and begins reading, but he's not far along when Zayn's voice comes from the speakers, reading the note to him.

  
_"Liam,_

_"When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are to become so entwined together that it is inconcievable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!"_

_When I think of this quote, I think of you. I think of all the nights I lay in bed beside your sleeping figure, and I can't help but wonder how I got so lucky to have you in my life. You are so important in my life, I can't imagine waking up one day without you there. I can't imagine, I don't want to even think about a life without you in it. --"_

There's a short pause where the letter ends. Liam can feel himself tearing up a little, but then Zayn's voice comes back on, but unlike the first time, he sounds a little nervous. The sound of clapping draws Liam's attention to the front of the restaurant, where Zayn stands holding a microphone in his hand.

"Liam," He begins walking toward the back, Liam notices another rose in his hand, "You don't know how special you are, you don't know what you've done to my heart. You do know how much I don't like Valentine's day, but I'd do literally anything for you. I'd catch a grenade, throw my hand on a blade, jump in front of a train, and take a bullet through my brain all for you."

Liam smiles at the lyrics that Zayn so obviously stole.

"There's one thing I want you to know," He says, "Every single rose, all three hundred and sixty-four roses, represents every day of my life I want to spend with you, multiplied by a million. But that's not enough. Those roses will eventually die." As he reaches Liam's table, he holds out the three hundred and sixty-fifth rose. "This rose, will never die. This one will last forever, like our love."

Liam is about ready to cry. His face hurts so much from smiling so wide. There's a slight chance that Liam is about to faint when Zayn kneels down on one knee, placing the rose on the table. With the microphone still in one hand, he takes Liam's in his other, rubbing his thumb across the back.

"Liam, I have never wanted anybody more than anything. I've never felt anything so strong for anyone, ever." Zayn lets go of Liam's hand and produces a black box from his pocket. "I know that we are young, but Liam I love you. I'm in love with you. I love everything about you and I don't care that we're young, I want to grow old with you." He opens the box, and inside is a silver wedding band that causes the tears to actually fall from Liam's eyes.

"Liam, will you marry me?" Zayn asks.

Liam is speechless. He's so surprised and excited and overwhelmed he can't form any coherent words. That leaves him babbling and nodding, more tears cascading down his cheeks as Zayn slides the ring onto his finger. The entire restaurant explodes into claps and whistles and cheers.

Zayn cups Liam's wet cheeks in his hands and kisses him. He kisses Liam like he's never kissed him before. Well, not really. There are still children in the restaurant.

When Zayn pulls back, Liam smiles. "Zayn, I love you more than everything. I cannot wait to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I love you."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this I have a 1500-3500 word essay to go write (I'm crying -- not really but still)


End file.
